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Thera 5.4: Sumana
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(201):Sumana Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter V. Five Verses =201. Sumana= Reborn in this Buddha-age in the family of a commoner of Kosala, and named Sumana, he grew up in happy circumstances. His mother's brother became an arahant(enlightened), living in the forest, and when Sumana came of age, this uncle initiated him into monkhood, giving him exercises on ethical conduct. Finally, when the four jhānas and fivefold1 abhiññā(higher knowledge) were acquired, the Thera showed him the way of insight, so that he soon acquired arahantship(enlightenment). And when he went to his uncle and was asked concerning his success, he thus made declaration: ---- 330 Yaɱ patthayāno dhammesu upajjhāyo anuggahī,|| Amataɱ abhikaŋkhantaɱ kataɱ kattabbakaɱ mayā.|| || 331 Anuppatto sacchikato sayaɱ dhammo anītiho,|| Visuddhañāṇo nikkaŋkho vyākaromi tavantike.|| || 332 Pubbenivāsaɱ jānāmi dibbacakkhu visodhitaɱ,|| Sadattho me anuppatto kataɱ buddhassa sāsanaɱ.|| || 333 Appamattassa me sikkhā sussutā tava sāsane,|| Sabbe me asavā khīṇā natthi dāni punabbhavo.|| || 334 Anusāsi maɱ ariyavatā anukampi anuggahi,|| Amogho tuyhamovādo antevāsimhi sikkhito' ti.|| || ---- 330 That which my teacher wished that I should know In doctrines good, and of his kindness taught To me who longed for the Ambrosial: That now, even the task prescribed, is done. 331 Yes, won and realized is the Path(Dhamma) Even for my own, not learnt 'as such and such:'2 194 Pure wisdom is mine, dispelled is every doubt. Let me stand near to you and testify: 332 I know the where and when of former lives, And clearly shines the Divine eye; The Good Supreme, Ar'hantship, have I won,3 And what the Buddha remains us do is done. 333 Well have I learnt, who used all diligence, The method and the training in your rule; For all the Intoxicants(defilements/desires) are cleaned away; Now comes never more the life renewed. 334 Noble your cult and you have guided me. Compassionate, it is you have favoured me. Your teachings have not proved inept. Once an apprentice, now am I adept. ---- 1 See p. 32, n. 1. He only lacked Āsavakkhaya. 2 Dhammo anītīho, a favourite expression in the Sutta Nipāta. See Fausböll's translation and notes, verses 934, 1052, 1065, 1080, 1083, 1134; cf. Mjjhi., i. 520. 3 Sadattho ti arahanttaɱ (Commentary). ---- =5.4 201 Commentary on the stanza of Sumanatthera= The stanza starting with yaṃpatthayāno constitutes that of the venerable thera Sumana. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted deeds of service toward former Budhas, accumulating acts of merit in this and that existence, was reborn in a family home, in the world without any Buddha, ninety five aeons (kappa) ago; on having attained the age of intelligence, he happened to have seen a silent buddha afflicted with ailment and offered him yellow myrobalan (harītaka). On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn in a wealthy householder’s family (gahapatikula) in the kingdom of Kosala, when this Buddha arose; having gained the name Sumana he grew up blissfully. His uncle; however, having become a monk and attained Arahantship was dwelling in the forest, when he made Sumana a monk on his coming of age and gave the latter a mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) commensurate with his conduct (caritānukūla), making his devotion to that deed (yogakammam) there, he brought about his four jhānas and fivefold higher knowledge (abhiññā). Then the thera informed him the procedure (vidhi) for developing spiritual insight (vipassanā); he also increasingly developed spiritual insight (vipassanā) and became established in Arahantship but before long. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna.-- “I myself procured yellow myrobalan, emblic myrobalan (āmalaka), mango, eugenia (jambu), beleric myrobalan; (vibhītaka), the jujube fruit (kola), the marking nut (bhallātaka) and fruit of the Bilva tree. On having seen, on my arrival at the mountain slope the meditative (jhāyī) Sage who took delight in jhāna, the great Sage without any companion, being afflicted with ailment; Having taken with me the yellow myrobalan I offered it to the self-dependent silent buddha; just at the moment of his chewing the medicinal fruit, his disease disappeared (passambhi) there and then (tāvade). The silent buddha who had got rid of his burning ailment (daratha), made his thanks-giving to me saying that with this offering of medicinal fruit his desease had been dispelled. Whether you have become a divine being or a human being or born in any other birth, may you be happy everywhere; let not any ailment come to you Having said this, the self-dependent the invincible, self-awakened silent buddha, the firmly wise, scared up to the sky, similar to the swan sovereign in the sky. Since the yellow myrobalan was offered by me to the self-dependent great sage, from this birth onwards there arose no ailment to me. This is my last (birth); it is (my) last existence; threefold knowledge (vijjā) had been visualised; Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. It was ninetyfour aeons ago, that I then made my offering of medicine; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of medicine. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having; however, become established in Arahantship, he, one day, went to his uncle thera in order to attend upon him. The thera asked him about his achievement. In answer to that (question of his uncle) he revealed his Arahantship (aññā) roaring the roar of a lion, by means of these five stanzas. 330. “My preceptor (upajjhāyo) gave me a helping hand (anuggahi) in the truths (dhamma) whichever I desire (patthayāno); keenly wishing to attain immortality (amata), whatever should be done had been done by me.” 331. “The truth (dhamma), not based on hearsay, had been duly attained and visualised by myself; my knowledge is perfectly pure and I am free from doubt; I reveal (myself) in your presence. 332. “I know my former abodes, my divine eye has been perfectly purified; my own desire had duly materialised; Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” 333. “The higher moral conduct (sikkhā) of mine who had been diligent, had made me learned (sussutā) in your dispensation. All my cankers had become exhausted; there is no more new existence, now. 334. “You disciplined me with the observance of noble moral precepts and practice; out of sympathy for me you gave me a helping hand. Your advice had not been in vain; as your resident pupil I had trained with the observance of higher moral precepts and practice. There, yaṃpatthayāno dhammesu, upajjhāyo anuggahi; amataṃ abhikankhaṃ means: My preceptor gave his helping hand to me, in the guise of giving advice to me who keenly desire the deathless nibbāna; he helped me who was wishing and wanting the truth (dhamma) comprising such sinless deeds (dhamma) as calm composure (samatha) and spiritual insight (vipassanā). Kataṃ kattabbaṃ maya means: whatever deed should be done in such varieties (vidha) as total understanding (pariññā) and so on, for the purpose of achieving it has been done and completed by me. Anupatto sacchikato means: subsequent upon that even, the truth of the right path (maggadhamma) fourfold in number also had been achieved and realised. Sayaṃdhammo anitiho means: the deed (dhamma) for fruition and the deed (dhamma) for nibbāna is not based on hearsay (anītiha), not indistinct (asandiddho) but made self seen with one’s own eyes (paccakkha); there occurred the noble (ariya) path (magga) but on well-cutting off doubt reckoned as thus said on account of the occurrence of such expressions as “Itiha, iti kita (said thus, it is said thus).” On that account, he said: “Visuddhañāṇo nikkankho” and so on. There, visuddhañāṇo means: he was of perfectly pure knowledge, because of the perfect purity free from all depravity. Tavantike means: near you. Sadattho means: Arahantship. Sikkhā means: such disciplined conduct as higher moral precepts and so on. Sussutā means: excellently learned by way of being totally full of much learning in canonical texts (pariyatti) and much learning in the proper penetratioin (into the right path). Tava sāsane means: (to me who abided) by your advice and instruction. Ariyavatā means by the taking upon myself properly the observance of such duties (vata) as perfectly pure moral precepts, and so on. Antevāsimhi sokkhito means: I was of such disciplined conduct as well behaved (sikkhita) higher moral precepts and so on having been well taught (sikkhitavā) residential pupil (antavāsī) owing to the condition of having led the practical (ciṇṇa) holy life (brahmacariya) near you. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Sumana is complete. ----